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As I'm getting more and more back into kiting (just in time for rain around here...), I'm digging in my bag and realizing I have various line sets but do not know what their weight might be. I took a couple shots of three examples - I put a new 150# spectra set that came with my Widow NG for comparison on the left in each shot. FWIW, the new sprectra feels much more slippery than these other three.

This set is colored - one purple, one yellow. Must have been a trend I liked back in the day

These guys were in my old hawaiian team bag, with the ripped sail

Another

Also, just got an old phantom off ebay, and it came with a line set for a rev... I have an old brownish/kevlar set from my Rev 2, but I'm assuming this is from a rev 1. They're 100 footers, anyone know what lines came with the Rev 1?Revs:Thanks for any help in advance!

Well there's no fast way to tell what lines are unless you know the brand. The colored set I wouldn't even use myself since its twisted and not braided and will bind really easy but IIRC that was the line that came with most cheaper stunt kites and is probably around 100# nylon or early twisted polyester(80's vintage). THe set from your Hawaiian if its original should be 175# dacron or nylon and thats based on what mine had back then. As for the Rev 1 Set they should be 90# or 150# LPG spectra. REv has used LPG line exclusively for a long time.

Dacron and nylon are hard to tell apart by looks alone. Nylon will have a slightly shinier sheen to it under bright light and will have more springiness to it meaning it will stretch and retract more than dacron(polyester). The same weight line in nylon will stretch more before failing than equal dacron as well. Line coatings make going by feel moot but nylon feels softer than dacron. Spectra when coated looks bright but has a dull sheen almost satin like. Nylon when melted will brown almost instantly and shrink, dacron will not char as easily but tends to glob instead of shrink when melted. Spectra shrinks like nylon but does not char hardly at all when melted even if it catches flame. However when it comes to stretch tests the braid has a LOT to do with the results. A loose braided dacron will have virtually the same springiness as nylon and the only difference then will be the failure point. Another way to tell is by knot failure. Spectra will break at a knot before nylon or dacron will.

When flying, once the braid is stretched and tightened, the kite will feel different with different line type. Spectra has a sharp feel with almost instant input transfer where polyester and nylon give the kite a more spongy feel.

In the mid 90's my rev 2 came with kevlar lines and my rev 1 had spectra lines with a red braid.I also have old linesets that are a little thicker than new linesets of the same weight.Also back in the day there were way more choices of line weights than today......iirc there were 30/50/75/80/90/100/150 lb. strengths and probably more especially over 150 lb. bt

I have been out of kiting and am getting back after 25+ years away. I still have (and an currently using) some 200# Kevlar line branded 'Herculine'. From looking at the packaging, I'm sure it was an upgraded line for use with my 6 and 9 stack Rainbows and marketed by Rainbow. I also used it with a TOTL Spin Off. The Herculine lines are kinda long at between 100-150' but I suppose I could shorten them if it is still considered by folks here worth using.

I also found an unopened 300' spool of Shanti Skybond, 110#? I just visited the Shanti website and I would guess my Skybond is the old 'kevlar' center they stopped making in 1985? It is braided white with red in the braid.

Any comments on either or both of these 'old school' lines? Continue using the Herculine with the stack of Rainbows or with a new Wolf or Delta Drive? I am using the stock 150# Spectra line that came with the Wolf for both the Wolf and Delta Drive at this point.

I have been out of kiting and am getting back after 25+ years away. I still have (and an currently using) some 200# Kevlar line branded 'Herculine'. From looking at the packaging, I'm sure it was an upgraded line for use with my 6 and 9 stack Rainbows and marketed by Rainbow. I also used it with a TOTL Spin Off. The Herculine lines are kinda long at between 100-150' but I suppose I could shorten them if it is still considered by folks here worth using.

I also found an unopened 300' spool of Shanti Skybond, 110#? I just visited the Shanti website and I would guess my Skybond is the old 'kevlar' center they stopped making in 1985? It is braided white with red in the braid.

Any comments on either or both of these 'old school' lines? Continue using the Herculine with the stack of Rainbows or with a new Wolf or Delta Drive? I am using the stock 150# Spectra line that came with the Wolf for both the Wolf and Delta Drive at this point.

Thanks!

Both of them are still good line to use. I use todays equivalent of hurculine for my stacks which is no longer kevlar but a dacron spectra blend called power line made for power kiting. That old kevlar skybond was damn near bulletproof but binds easily at about 5-10 wraps so not as good for tricking today but still good line. That red fibre in the skybond was mainly just a tracer line used for braiding purposes(made it easier to see flaws in the braid). IIRC Hurculine was also made by Shanti for rainbow. I wouldn't use the hurculine for the wolf or delta drive unless your out in 20+ mph as it has a lot more drag than your 150# line.

I will leave the length alone for the 6 (or9) stack of Rainbows as long as I indeed find it to be 150'. If it is 200' I may shorten to your 150' recommendation.

Don't really know what I will do with the older 300' spool of kevlar core Skybond. I guess if (when) I break the Herculine I could use it although the Skybond is 110# and my Heculine is 200# rated so that's likely not a good plan!

Thanks again, Ike, for your posts. You know this stuff and it is a big help to us getting back in or folks just starting out.

That Skybond makes great bridle lines for SLK's, it was used for bridling on the Tricktails and it could also be used on your Stack. I wouldn't use it on a modern dual line though.

Those colored lines are probably twisted spectra, The color was a wax coating they used, mine are the same colors. I still have a set around I got back in the early 1990's, I use it to peel a couple strands out of for flying minature kites now.

Rev 1's originally came with 120' of spectra line just like now, it was probably 100 - 150 lbs, I don't recall but you could split the set into 2 sets for duals, I've bought a few quad sets for duals, you save a couple bucks.

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